Two suspects, Pedro Festus and Omorodion Felix, have been taken into custody by Edo State Police Command operations in connection with suspected kidnapping and murder in Edo State.
It was discovered that the three suspects are part of a kidnapping ring that specializes in car snatching and kidnapping in the states of Delta and Edo. According to information acquired, the suspects beat up a man named Joseph in front of his home in Uwore village and threw him into a bush on the Benin-Akure Road.
At gunpoint, the suspects allegedly blocked the victim’s vehicle as he was entering his compound and took him away in it. After the kidnapping, it was discovered that the suspects requested a ransom of N10 million, but the family managed to raise N250,000 and sent the money to them while negotiations continued.
While the ransom negotiations were still going on, the suspect allegedly killed the victim after receiving N250,000 and sold his car to an unidentified buyer. After being taken into custody by the police, the suspect admitted to the crime and killing the victim, who had named them as neighbors in the same neighborhood.
One of the suspects, Pedro, was accused of armed robbery and appeared in court under the name Ikoowonsa Owege, but he escaped from detention during the 2020 #EndSars demonstration, according to information obtained by City and Crime. After breaking out of jail, the suspect changed his name to Pedro Festus and used it to carry out a string of kidnappings and killings around the state.
CSP Moses Yamu, the command spokesperson who verified the occurrence, stated that an investigation is being conducted to apprehend the gang’s fugitives. They have admitted to the crime and may face charges, he added, adding that two pump action and one cut-to-size gun were found on them.
Pedro, one of the suspects in the interview, claimed that the victim was slain because he recognized him as belonging to the same neighborhood. He said that the victim’s phone battery died during the bargaining process and that, because we live next door, the victim recognized me during that time. He claimed that after identifying him, he gave his accomplice the order to kill him.
